The Journal Journey

Here I am again. Starting another empty volume. Sitting, drinking coffee. Wondering what will become of my life. - July 19, 2003 This post is part 2 in a series entitled Symbols of Redemption. For part 1, click here. For part 2, click here. On July 19, 2003, I began my eleventh journal with the words above. “Here I am again.” They were words of recognition… “Starting another empty volume.” … of repetition… “Sitting, drinking coffee.” … tied to a dream of being a writer in a noisy... Read Full Story

This post is part 2 in a series entitled Symbols of Redemption. For part 1, click here. Last week, in part one of this series, I talked about my many incomplete journals. I admitted that I’m pretty good about coming up with new ideas and starting new things, but that I often have trouble carrying those ideas to completion. Because this is so much a part of my personality, my journals became symbols of incompleteness beyond the blank pages themselves. They were symbols of brokenness, a lack... Read Full Story

I have journals. Lots of them. Mostly in a pile on top of the bookcase in my office. Of course, you already know I have journals. I’m certain I’ve mentioned this before. But what you don’t know is that none of these journals are full. Except for one. But we’ll get to that. The rest of my journals have almost as many blank pages as full ones. Some are more empty than full. Many of them overlap in time, like my first journal (which has dated entries from January, 1996 to December... Read Full Story

These are the things making me happy these days: The other day, I was walking in my neighborhood in search of a garage sale announced (very largely, I might add) at the mouth of my street. Halfway up the alleged garage sale street , a girl and her mom sat in their front yard. "Hi!" the girl said. "Hi," I said. I turned to her mom. "Do you know anything about a garage sale?" "Sorry. Haven't seen anything." The little girl ran up to me and gave me a delicate lavender flower. "Here... Read Full Story

Back in March of this year, uncertain as to what to do with myself as I was recovering from my trip through thyroid hades, I decided to 'throw myself out to the universe' and see if anything came to me. I hoped to be able to return to Panama with my dogs, Cleo and Harley, and resume my life on Loma Partida. I like living there, it fits me. However, as the fates would have it, Delta Airlines has a ban on flying pets between May 15 and September 15, so either I travel without my dogs, or I... Read Full Story